Written Answers Wednesday 22 July 2009

Scottish Executive

Courts

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to close a third of Scotland’s courts as reported in The Herald on 15 July 2009 and, if so, (a) how many and (b) which courts it intends to close and when.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to close a third of Scotland’s Courts and no plans to close any specific sheriff court.

Courts

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering the introduction of mobile court facilities covering the south-west and north-east, as reported in The Herald on 15 July 2009 and, if so, what this will involve.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to introduce mobile courts in Scotland.

Enterprise

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to promote mutual and co-operative business models in schools.

Fiona Hyslop: Through our enterprise in education strategy, Determined to Succeed (DtS), we have committed to embedding enterprise in the curriculum. Our document Determined to Succeed – Policy Expectations for Local Authority Delivery – 2008-2011 clearly sets out our commitment to developing awareness and understanding of entrepreneurship and its associated attitudes and behaviours to help our young people understand the contribution they make to growing Scotland’s economy. Within this context, we have also recognised the need to give young people an understanding of the social enterprise business model and how it can be used to provide social or environmental benefit. Social enterprises play a vital role in growing Scotland’s economy: delivering excellent services; supporting stronger communities and helping to transform lives.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many infractions of inshore fisheries regulations have been reported in each of the last 10 years, broken down by regulation, and, of these, how many resulted in (a) temporary loss of licence for the infractor, (b) permanent loss of licence for the infractor or (c) a fine or other punishment for the infractor.

Richard Lochhead: Details of breaches of inshore related fisheries regulations reported by front line officers to the headquarters of the then Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA), for consideration of formal enforcement action, in each of the last 10 years is provided in the following tables. None of the infringements pursued resulted in either a temporary or permanent withdrawal of the associated fishing licences.

  No reference years are provided to the list of statutory provisions given below as most have been subject to many revisions including in some cases orders which are renewed annually.

  List of statutes:

  A - The Sea Fishing (Prohibited Method of Fishing )(Firth of Clyde) Order(s).

  B - The Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Conservation Measures)(Scotland) Order(s).

  C - The Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods)(Scotland) Order(s).

  D - Food Protection (Emergency Prohibition)(Amnesic Shellfish Provision)(East Coast)(Scotland) Order(s).

  E - The Prohibition of Fishing for Scallops (Scotland) Order(s).

  F - The Shetland Islands Regulated Fishing (Scotland) Order(s).

  G - Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing for Cockles ) Order(s).

  H - The Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Control Measures) (Scotland) Order(s).

  I - Council Regulation 2371/2002 (prosecuted directly under the Fisheries Act 1981 S.30(1)).

  Figures given in the table below for each year relate to total cases reported to SFPA HQ with the figures in brackets being the number where a fine was ultimately imposed in any subsequent court proceedings.

  Infractions of Inshore Related Fisheries Regulations, 1997 – 2008

  

 Statute
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008


 A
 1(0)
 1*(0)
 
 
 
 2(2)
 1(1)
 1(1)
 
 
 1(1)
 


 B
 4(2)
 2(1)
 3(2)
 1(0)
 
 3(3)
 2(0)
 
 
 2(0)
 
 2(0)


 C
 3(1)
 5(0)
 
 1(0)
 3(2)
 2(2)
 
 1(1)
 
 1(1)
 
 


 D
 
 
 
 2(0)
 1(0)
 
 2(2)
 1(1)
 
 
 
 


 E
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1(0)
 2(1)
 
 2(1)
 


 F
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1(1)
 


 G
 
 
 
 
 
 1(1)
 
 
 
 2(0)
 
 


 H
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3(0)
 


 I
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1(1)


 Totals
 8(3)
 8(1)
 3(2)
 4(0)
 4(2)
 8(8)
 5(3)
 4(3)
 2(1)
 5(1)
 7(3)
 3(1)



  Note: *Found guilty but no penalty imposed.

Fisheries

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many fishermen there have been in Scotland in each year since 1999, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23906 on, 28 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Fisheries

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered fishing boats there have been in Scotland in each year since 1999, broken down by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

Richard Lochhead: Figures for the number of registered fishing boats are not available by Scottish parliamentary constituency.

General Practitioners

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average net income of GPs on a general medical services contract was in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on GP earnings is published by the NHS Information Centre. Figures for 2006-07 were published on 19 May 2009 and are available at:

  http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/general-practice/gp-earnings-and-expenses-enquiry-2006-07--final-report.

  2007-08 figures are not yet available.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices in the Monklands area are signed up contractually to provide extended opening hours.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are 12 GP practices in the Monklands area contractually signed up and providing extended opening hours, seven in Airdrie and five in Coatbridge.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce health checks for people aged over 40.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is currently developing proposals for a programme of health checks for people when they reach 40 in association with NHS24. We will make a detailed announcement in due course.

Higher Education

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the non-completion rate was in each university in each of the last three years.

Fiona Hyslop: Statistics relating to non-continuation rates at Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The table below contains this data for the three most recent years.

  Non-Continuation Following Year of Entry: Full-Time First Degree Entrants

  

 
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Institution
 Number
 %
 Number
 %
 Number
 %


 Total Scotland
 3,205
 10.7
 3,135
 10.1
 3,150
 10.6


 The University of Aberdeen
 200
 9.6
 225
 10.4
 175
 8.3


 University of Abertay Dundee 
 180
 16
 80
 7.9
 75
 7.6


 Bell College1
 105
 25.4
 130
 24.4
 
 


 The University of Dundee
 240
 9.2
 235
 10.3
 165
 8.2


 Edinburgh College of Art
 20
 7.5
 15
 4.7
 30
 6.5


 The University of Edinburgh
 160
 4.1
 180
 4.6
 175
 5


 Glasgow Caledonian University 
 420
 15.5
 435
 12.7
 420
 13.2


 Glasgow School of Art
 10
 4
 5
 1.9
 5
 2.6


 The University of Glasgow
 315
 8.6
 270
 7.4
 325
 8.9


 Heriot-Watt University 
 110
 9.1
 110
 9.4
 120
 10.1


 Napier University 
 315
 17.4
 320
 17.9
 315
 16.9


 The University of Paisley1
 370
 21.8
 335
 17.1
 
 


 Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
 135
 14.5
 135
 14.3
 90
 10.4


 The Robert Gordon University
 165
 10.9
 140
 9.4
 160
 10.6


 The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
 15
 9.6
 10
 7.2
 10
 6.3


 The University of St Andrews
 25
 2
 25
 2
 20
 2.1


 The University of Stirling
 35
 2.8
 90
 6.6
 105
 7.7


 The University of Strathclyde
 370
 12.4
 340
 11.2
 315
 10


 UHI Millennium Institute
 10
 22.6
 55
 24
 105
 28.2



  Source: Data from the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA). Numbers rounded to the nearest five; 0.1 and 2 rounded to 0. Percentages are calculated from unrounded values.

  Notes:

  1. In 2006-07 Bell College merged with the University of Paisley to become the University of the West of Scotland. There are no figures available from them as yet.

  Figures relating to non-continuation are published by HESA on their website. More information on non-continuation rates for the rest of the UK can be accessed from their website:

  For 2007-08:

  http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1438&Itemid=141.

  For 2006-07 http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1178/141/.

  For 2005-06 HESA - Higher Education Statistics Agency - PIs 2005/06: Non-continuation rates.

  Table T3a in each case gives information on the percentage of students no longer in higher education one year after entry. They have been produced for full-time undergraduate students only. These are the latest figures available from HESA along with the releases from the previous two years.

Housing

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of empty rural properties.

Alex Neil: The General Register Office for Scotland collects data on domestic properties, information on vacant dwellings, including unoccupied dwellings that are exempt from council tax, and dwellings subject to a long-term empty property discount.

  The following table is based on the Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2008:

  

 Area Type
 Number of Vacant Dwellings
 Percentage of Dwellings Which Are Vacant


 Large urban areas
 29,483
 3%


 Other urban areas
 14,570
 2%


 Accessible small towns
 3,612
 2%


 Remote small towns
 2,578
 3%


 Accessible rural areas
 6,681
 3%


 Remote rural areas
 7,283
 4%


 Total
 64,207
 



  Note: These figures exclude Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire and Fife.

Housing

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding abolishing the historical housing debt; when these discussions took place, and what the outcomes were.

Alex Neil: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 26 September 2007 asking under what circumstances other than housing stock transfer would debt attached to local authorities’ housing revenue accounts be written off.

  The Chief Secretary to the Treasury wrote back on 30 November 2007 explaining that the only circumstance where it would be possible to write-off housing debt would be if the local authority stock was transferred following a tenant ballot.

  On 7 July 2009, the Minister for Housing and Communities met with the UK Government Housing Minister, John Healey MP, to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Minster for Housing and Communities raised the issue of HM Treasury rules and local authority housing debt, amongst other subjects, at that meeting.

Licensing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is a legal loophole preventing sanctions being imposed against licensees of on and off-sales premises after 31 August 2009 for breach of licensing conditions occurring before that date.

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether licensing boards will be able to take action under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 against licensees in breach of licensing conditions occurring before 31 August 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: No. The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 provides a mechanism for premises licences to be reviewed. The licence conditions as such do not apply before the licence takes effect, so it is not possible to breach them. However the grounds for review include grounds relevant to one or more of the licensing objectives set out in section 4 of that act. In appropriate cases that could include conduct taking place before the licence takes effect.

Licensing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with licensing boards about the pursuit of cases against licensees in breach of licensing conditions based on incidents taking place before 31 August 2009 when the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes into effect.

Kenny MacAskill: Staff of one licensing board sought advice from Scottish Government officials on this issue. Advice on the provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 was provided. There has been no contact on this issue from other boards.

Ministerial Meetings

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met representatives of Cairde na h’Eireann (Friends of Ireland) since 18 September 2008, broken down by date and minister involved.

Fergus Ewing: Scottish ministers have not met with representatives of Cairde na h’Eireann since 18 September 2008.

Ministerial Meetings

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met representatives of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland since 18 September 2008, broken down by date and minister involved.

Fergus Ewing: Scottish ministers have not met with representatives of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland since 18 September 2008.

NHS Staff

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have been funded by their NHS board to gain the relevant qualification to allow them to register as a specialist community public health nurse in (a) health visiting, (b) school nursing or (c) specialist practitioners in district nursing in each year since 1999-2000 for which information is available, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Post-registration education is determined and funded locally by NHS boards or by individuals as part of their career development. The funding source for specialist practitioner qualification programmes in health visiting, public health nursing and district nursing is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have been in training to allow them to register as a specialist community public health nurse in (a) health visiting, (b) school nursing or (c) specialist practitioners in district nursing in each year since 1999-2000 for which information is available, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) collects information on NMC recordable specialist practitioner qualifications (SPQ) which includes health visiting, public health nursing and district nursing. The information requested, broken down by NHS board, is not held centrally but Scotland-wide details are as follows:

  Year End Training Population Snapshots as at 31 March

  

 Year
Health Visiting (Including SPQ inPublic Health Nursing)
School Nursing (See Note)
District Nursing (Including SPQ in CommunityNursing in the Home)


 2000
 166
 11
 119


 2001
 179
 14
 153


 2002
 295
 7
 160


 2003
 205
 4
 146


 2004
 199
 0
 147


 2005
 185
 0
 129


 2006
 173
 0
 123


 2007
 155
 0
 105


 2008
 144
 0
 91



  Source: NES Computerised Training Index.

  Note: As a consequence of "Nursing for Health", school nursing was merged into the modified programme for public health nursing in September 2001.

  Post registration education is determined and funded locally by NHS boards or by individuals as part of their career development.

NHS Staff

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have completed their training to allow them to register as a specialist community public health nurse in (a) health visiting, (b) school nursing or (c) specialist practitioners in district nursing in each year since 1999-2000 for which information is available, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) collects information on NMC recordable specialist practitioner qualifications (SPQs) which includes health visiting, public health nursing and district nursing. The information requested, broken down by NHS board is not held centrally but Scotland-wide details are as follows:

  Completions of Training by Year (1 April to 31 March) of Completion

  

 Year
Health Visiting (Including SPQ in Public Health Nursing)
School Nursing (See Note)
District Nursing (Including SPQ in Community Nursing in the Home)


 1999-2000
 59
 8
 45


 2000-01
 92
 7
 49


 2001-02
 80
 5
 59


 2002-03
 190
 1
 71


 2003-04
 109
 0
 57


 2004-05
 104
 0
 54


 2005-06
 86
 0
 48


 2006-07
 80
 0
 61


 2007-08
 70
 0
 48



  Source: NES Computerised Training Index.

  Note: As a consequence of "Nursing for Health", school nursing was merged into the modified programme for public health nursing in September 2001.

  Post registration education is determined and funded locally by NHS boards or by individuals as part of their career development.

Police

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a person with moderate deuteranomalous trichromacy can meet the standard of eyesight determined by the Scottish ministers in accordance with section 9 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Kenny MacAskill: A person with moderate deuteranomalous trichromacy would be classified as having anomalous trichromacy under the eyesight standards determined by the Scottish ministers, in accordance with section 9 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 2004. They would, therefore, be eligible for consideration of appointment to a police force and may be subject to an acceptable coping strategy.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual prison population was in each of the last three financial years, broken down by institution.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  Prison

  

 Establishment
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Aberdeen
 228
 237
 233


 Addiewell
 
 
 113


 Barlinnie
 1,480
 1,462
 1,555


 Castle Huntly*
 278
 
 


 Cornton Vale
 300
 323
 366


 Dumfries
 200
 202
 205


 Edinburgh
 782
 796
 847


 Glenochil
 436
 634
 730


 Greenock
 310
 315
 312


 Inverness
 147
 148
 151


 Kilmarnock
 599
 641
 636


 Low Moss
 299
 18
 


 Noranside*
 161
 
 


 Open Estate
 
 484
 350


 Perth
 348
 433
 646


 Peterhead
 302
 304
 305


 Shotts (inc. NIC)
 515
 536
 540



  Note: *Now part of the Open Estate.

  Young Offenders Institute

  

 Establishment
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Cornton Vale
 46
 41
 44


 Perth
 139
 133
 116


 Polmont
 611
 670
 689

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24824 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 June 2009, which quotes the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service statement that "there are a number of prisoners who do not work in many of Scotland’s Prisons", what its position is and what action it will take.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The statement accurately reflects the position at the present time.

  The availability of activity places, including work, is under constant review by SPS.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24824 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 June 2009, what the level is of (a) work provision and (b) demand for work in each prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  The latest available data shows the number of work places to be:

  

 Establishment
 Work Places


 Aberdeen
 96


 Addiewell
 273


 Barlinnie
 499


 Castle Huntly
 285


 Cornton Vale
 192


 Dumfries
 121


 Edinburgh
 418


 Glenochil
 387


 Greenock
 154


 Inverness
 54


 Kilmarnock
 455


 Noranside
 192


 Perth
 364


 Peterhead
 255


 Polmont
 284


 Shotts
 499



  Some of these work places may, through timetabling, be utilised by more than one prisoner in a day.

  Prisoner demand for work is not measured by the SPS.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24824 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 June 2009, whether it considers that there is sufficient provision of work in prisons and, if not, what action it will take.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  Ideally there would enough prisoner work places to provide meaningful work for all convicted prisoners and all untried prisoners who wish to undertake work.

  However, the provision of work places is limited by the physical capacity of prisons, the availability of staff, the availability of work which is meaningful and the cost at realistic levels of providing that work.

  The SPS is maximising its provision of activity spaces and the take-up. It is also preparing to introduce performance measures for 2010-11 which will provide evidence of the level of all activities undertaken.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-24826, S3W-24827 and S3W-24828 by Kenny MacAskill on 23 June 2009, whether it will collect this information in future.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  Work is underway to set up recording systems for purposeful activity, which will include all prisoner work. This new measure will be in place from April 2010.

Prison Service

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total prison population was on 26 June 2009, also broken down by prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table gives a breakdown of the prison population on 26 June 2009, broken down by establishment.

  

 Establishment
 Total Population


 Aberdeen
 235


 Addiewell
 705


 Barlinnie
 1,496


 Cornton Vale
 363


 Dumfries
 196


 Edinburgh
 896


 Glenochil Prison
 671


 Greenock
 275


 Inverness
 146


 Kilmarnock
 538


 Open Estate
 285


 Perth
 710


 Peterhead
 305


 Polmont
 714


 Shotts
 540


 Total
 8,075

Schools

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the two-thirds funding for secondary schools and 50% funding for primary schools available to local authorities through the school building programme includes contractual running or maintenance costs or will provide construction capital alone.

Fiona Hyslop: As I stated in Parliament on 17 June 2009, the capital funding available covers construction costs. We expect authorities to plan for future maintenance as an integral part of any school building project.

Scottish Funding Council

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of printing and publishing the Scottish Funding Council’s Corporate Plan 2009-2012; how many copies were printed, to whom they were circulated, and whether further such plans are envisaged.

Fiona Hyslop: The costs and distribution of the Scottish Funding Council Corporate Plan 2009-2012 are operational matters for that body. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council to write to the member with the information.

  The Scottish Funding Council are currently producing an operational plan for 2009-10.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any correspondence between it and faith communities sent in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 about encouraging the twinning of denominational and non-denominational schools.

Fiona Hyslop: A copy of a letter from the Scottish Government to all head teachers in Scotland, including head teachers of denominational schools, inviting applications to the 2007-08 Anti-Sectarianism in Education Project Fund has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 48615). There has been no other such correspondence.

  The Scottish Government is investing record levels of funding in local government, £23 billion for the period 2008-10, to enable education authorities to respond appropriately to their own needs and priorities. Within the terms of the concordat it is for local authorities to pursue their own approaches to tackling anti-sectarianism. Decisions on twinning arrangements will depend on local circumstances and are a matter for local authorities in consultation with their communities and church representatives.

Smoking

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many successful prosecutions there have been for (a) smoking and (b) permitting others to smoke in an enclosed public place in each of the last three years.

Kenny MacAskill: Prosecution in court is only one of a range of possible options for dealing with an individual who has been charged with an offence of this type. The majority of persons who are caught breaching the smoke-free legislation are issued with a fixed penalty notice.

  In 2006-07 and 2007-08 (the most recent years available from the Scottish Government court proceedings database), there was no one convicted of either (a) smoking or (b) permitting others to smoke in an enclosed public place, where this was the main offence in the case.

Young Offenders

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases in which the accused was aged (a) 16 or 17 and (b) under 16 were pending in the criminal courts as of 12 June 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: As at 12 June 2009 there were 3,260 accused persons, aged 16 or 17, who had cases pending in the criminal courts, including 12 in the High Court of Justiciary. There were 104 accused persons under 16, including six in the High Court of Justiciary. These figures represent a 30% decrease over the past three years, in both age groups, for accused persons in the sheriff courts.

  These figures do not include any cases in the district courts in the two Sheriffdoms of North Strathclyde and South Strathclyde, and Dumfries and Galloway, which have not yet been unified as part of Scottish Court Service.

  The figures involve those cases awaiting a final disposal and those involving outstanding review or breach hearings.

Young People

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21279 by Fergus Ewing on 4 March 2009, what evidence has been taken from the Action for Children Scotland Renfrewshire Primary Support Project with a view to identifying and disseminating good practice.

Fergus Ewing: No such evidence has yet been taken. We propose to include information about the project, incorporating detail from the external evaluation of it that was undertaken by Edinburgh University, in our dissemination of good practice around what works in early and effective intervention, which is due to commence later this year.

Youth Crime

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22877 by Fergus Ewing on 8 May 2009, what discussions it has had with Northern Constabulary in relation to the constabulary’s calls for increased powers to impose curfews on those who repeatedly commit crime or behave in an antisocial manner and what action it intends to take as a result.

Fergus Ewing: My officials met with representatives from Northern Constabulary on 3 June 2009 to discuss their proposal for increased powers to impose curfews on young people who repeatedly commit crime or antisocial behaviour. Northern Constabulary subsequently indicated to officials that they do not plan to take forward this proposal at this time.

  We have indicated to Northern Constabulary that we are happy to explore any other options with them and will work with them, and other partners, to support the development of effective approaches to dealing with this very small minority of young people that cause the most serious problems in our communities.